Wireless Electric Hair Clipper with Integrated Camera

Abstract

A wireless electric hair clipper system used to trim hair is disclosed. The wireless electric hair clipper system allows for viewing an area of hair from front, lateral and back while cutting the hair. The system includes a handheld electric hair clipper with a foldable wireless video camera providing a standardized, optimal viewing angle and a display unit including a wireless video monitor. The display unit works in conjunction with a wireless video camera to provide a series of simultaneous images and live monitoring options of the area where hair is being cut.

1 . A wireless electric hair clipper system comprising:
 a handheld electric hair clipper including:
 a housing having a retaining assembly, 
 a blade for cutting hair, 
 a motor for driving the blade, 
 a camera mounted on an arm operatively connected to the housing and configured to take images of the blade while cutting hair during, wherein the arm is configured to be moved between a stowed position in the housing and a deployed position spaced from the housing, wherein the camera is held, by the retaining assembly, at a predetermined viewing angle and distance relative to the hair being cut, 
 a wireless transceiver operatively connected to the camera and configured to wirelessly transmit the images of the blade while cutting hair, 
 a battery mounted in the housing and operatively connected to provide power to the motor, the wireless transceiver, and the camera, and 
 a processor configured to track information regarding at least one of the blade, the motor, the battery and the camera; and 
   a display unit including:
 a main housing, 
 a display located in the main housing, and 
   a transceiver operatively connected to the display and configured to receive the images and the information regarding at least one of the blade, the motor, the battery and the camera from the wireless transceiver, wherein the display is configured to present the images.   
     
     
         2 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a switch, mounted on the housing, configured to automatically turn on the camera when the arm is moved from the stowed position to the deployed position. 
     
     
         3 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 2 , wherein the wireless transceiver and the transceiver are configured to employ a Wi-Fi protocol and the switch is configured to pair the wireless transceiver and the transceiver when the arm is moved from the stowed position to the deployed position. 
     
     
         4 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a light on the arm and near the camera, the light being configured to turn on when the camera is on. 
     
     
         5 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 1 , further comprising an electronic gyroscopic module having an accelerometer for measuring motion of the clipper, said module configured to allow a user to visualize an orientation and level of the handheld electric hair clipper in three-dimensional space on the display unit. 
     
     
         6 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a blending device, mounted on the housing, including a dial. 
     
     
         7 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 6 , wherein the display unit is a cell phone and a flashlight is mounted on the housing of the handheld electric hair clipper. 
     
     
         8 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 1 , wherein the display unit is configured to display the information regarding the blade including a graphic image of designated cut lanes overlaying an image of the hair based on the predetermined viewing angle and distance. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 8 , wherein the housing further comprises a vibration motor configured to provide haptic feedback alerting when the blade strays from the designated cut lanes, the haptic feedback including a pulse distinguishable from clipper motor vibration. 
     
     
         10 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 1 , wherein the handheld electric hair clipper further comprises a button located towards a front of the handheld electric hair clipper that programmed to enlarge or shrink an image displayed on the display unit or start recording the images from the camera. 
     
     
         11 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 1 , wherein the display unit includes a memory configured to store a record of a client's haircut history including at least one of: an amount of time a haircut lasted, a number and type of guards used and in what order, before and after images of the haircut, the time the haircut occurred, and notes about the haircut. 
     
     
         12 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 7 , further comprising a guard which includes magnets for securing the guard onto the handheld electric hair clipper, wherein each guard has a plastic body and an RFID tag molded into the plastic body, wherein the display unit is configured to recognize which guard is being used based on the RFID tag. 
     
     
         13 . The wireless electric hair clipper system according to  claim 12 , wherein the display unit provides instructions in a video lesson that is synchronized with the guard and with the predetermined viewing angle and distance. 
     
     
         14 . A handheld electric hair clipper including:
 a housing having a retaining assembly,   a blade for cutting hair,   a motor for driving the blade,   a camera mounted on an arm operatively connected to the retaining assembly and configured to take images of the blade while cutting hair during, wherein the arm is configured to be moved between a stowed position in the housing and a deployed position spaced from the housing, wherein the camera is held, by the retaining assembly, at a predetermined viewing angle and distance relative to the hair being cut,
 a wireless transceiver operatively connected to the camera and configured to wirelessly transmit the images of the blade and hair, 
 a battery, mounted in the housing and operatively connected to provide power to the motor, the wireless transceiver, and the camera, and 
   a processor configured to track information regarding at least one of the blade, the motor, the battery and the camera.   
     
     
         15 . The handheld electric hair clipper according to  claim 14 , further comprising a switch, mounted on the housing, configured to turn on the camera when the arm is moved from the stowed position to the deployed position. 
     
     
         16 . The handheld electric hair clipper according to  claim 14 , further comprising a light on the arm and near the camera, the light being configured to turn on when the camera is on, another light mounted near the blades for illuminating the hair, and a blending device including a dial. 
     
     
         17 . A method of cutting hair with a wireless electric hair clipper system having a handheld electric hair clipper including a housing having retaining assembly, a blade, a motor, a camera mounted on an arm, a wireless transceiver, a battery mounted in the housing, and a processor configured to track information regarding the blade, the motor, the battery and the camera;
 and a display unit including a main housing having a display and a transceiver, said method comprising:
 holding the camera, with a retaining assembly, at a predetermined viewing angle and distance relative to hair being cut; 
 driving the blade with the motor to cut the hair; 
 transmitting images of the blade while cutting the hair; 
 receiving the images with the display unit; 
 presenting the images on the display while cutting the hair; and 
 displaying information regarding the battery and the blade. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 turning on the camera by moving the arm from a stowed position in the housing to a deployed position spaced from the housing;   providing instructions in a video lesson that is synchronized with the predetermined viewing angle and distance, and providing feedback showing how an actual motion of the hair clipper differs from an ideal motion of the hair clipper.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 displaying information regarding the blade including a graphic image of designated cut lanes overlaying an image of the hair; and   providing an alert when the blade strays from the designated cut lanes.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 storing a record of a client's haircut history including recording an amount of time a haircut lasted, a number and type of guards used and in what order, at least before and after images of the haircut, the date and/or time the haircut occurred, and notes about the haircut.